Love Takes Time...
by Rinoa Heartilly
Summary: The direct contination from the ending of Final Fantasy VIII. What happened after what they showed in the ending. Please R&R [ Squall/Rinoa + Selphie/Irvine]
1. Love Takes Time...

Author's Notes:  
Ummm... This fic is something small that I wrote up one day. I wasn't planning to write it or anything. It was just something spontaneous. A crazy idea that popped into my head. I just wrote it cause I simply had the urge to want to write something.  
  
It's continuation of what happened *directly* after the ending of Final Fantasy VIII. Y'know how Rinoa and Squall kissed at the end of the game at Balamb Garden? This is what happens to them and some of the other characters for the rest of that night directly after that bit.  
  
By the way... The title came from the song 'Love Takes Time' by Mariah Carey. I thought that it kind of went with the way the Quistis was feeling.  
  
Anyway... Enough of my blabber... Onto the story already! ^_~  
  
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**[ Love Takes Time... ]**  
  
Rinoa and Squall held onto each other tightly after they had just kissed for the first time that night. Squall was speechless. Never before had he ever experienced anything like that in his whole entire life. This new feeling. This new sensation... Ever since he was a little child, he had been void of most feelings that people would normally take for granted. He had spent most of his life shutting people out. But this night, he had reclaimed one of the most precious feelings he had lost...  
  
_What is this I'm feeling?...  
It's strange...  
Yet...   
... I like it...  
It must be what everyone calls... Love...  
I think...   
I'm in love..._  
  
Rinoa leaned closer to Squall and whispered something in his ear. In turn, Squall whispered it back to her. They once again locked into a deep, passionate kiss. Once their kiss was over, they held each other close again, looking up at the stars and admiring their beauty.  
  
"Squall..." Rinoa whispered quietly.  
  
"Yes?" Squall whispered back, not wanting to ruin the moment.  
  
"I was really scared today... When I couldn't find you in the flower field where we were supposed to meet."  
  
"I was scared too..."  
  
_... Scared that I'd never see you again...  
... I don't want to lose you..._  
  
Squall held onto Rinoa even tighter. He never wanted to let her go. He was perfectly aware that he could have lost her that day, but he wanted to put that thought behind him as fast as he possibly could. Thinking about it was too painful for him, as he had already shown before in the form of a single teardrop.  
  
Not long afterwards, Quistis slowly approached, totally forgetting that the couple was spending time together. She stood at the open doorway and looked at Rinoa and Squall with a thousand different emotions running through her head at once. She was about to speak, but she held back. Knowing that she was intruding, she turned around and began to walk away.  
  
"Quistis..." Squall called out, ruining the fine moment that he and Rinoa were just sharing.  
  
Quistis turned around. She was surprised. She didn't know that anyone had noticed her standing there. Let alone Squall... He had actually noticed her and called her back... A man of little words... Squall Leonhart... This had really shocked Quistis.  
  
"Yes, Squall?" Quistis finally managed to choke out.  
  
"What did you want to say?"   
  
"... H-How did you know I was here?"  
  
"..."  
  
"... I... Nothing. It wasn't really that important anyway. I'll just let you two get back to whatever you were doing..."  
  
Quistis bolted immediately, avoiding any other follow-ups from Squall. Squall wondered why Quistis would react this way. She usually wouldn't do anything irrational like that. She's a respectable person. An ex-teacher. She once had authority over him. She even tried to be Ellone's replacement at one stage. She could've been like a big sister to him... Now that he was in charge of Garden, he had authority over her. And now that he had Rinoa, he didn't feel alone. He didn't really need a big sis anymore. But he'll always and forever remember Ellone as one... But Quistis... Quistis was unsure about how and what Squall would remember her as. She didn't want to know. In her mind, she had always imagined this to be bad. She didn't want to be hurt anymore.  
  
Rinoa held onto both of Squall's hands.  
  
"I think we better call it a night..."  
  
Squall nodded. He gave Rinoa one last embrace and proceeded to walk her to her newly acquired dorm room at Balamb Garden. Headmaster Cid had given her a place to stay because someone had informed him about the mishaps with the Forest Owl's base and the fact that Rinoa didn't really get along well with her father. No one was really sure if things were fixed up Rinoa and her father, but Cid just wanted to make sure she wasn't going to sleep out in the cold.  
  
Rinoa and Squall walked hand in hand towards Rinoa's dorm room. As they approached it, Rinoa stopped and turned to face Squall. She gently caressed his cheek with her hand.  
  
"...Goodnight Squall..."  
  
"Goodnight Rinoa..."  
  
They kissed one last time then Rinoa entered her dorm room, gently shutting the door behind her. Squall walked back to his own dorm room thinking about the words that Rinoa had whispered to him earlier on. The same three words that he had whispered back to her that night. Those three words that he meant with all his heart...  
  
_ ... I love you..._   
  
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Selphie jumped around happily during the party, still wearing Irvine's hat. She was having the time of her life. She got what she wanted. Peace and love for the time being. Things won't always stay perfect, but that didn't matter. Even though thinking about the future may be wise, focusing on the present is more important. Never let a good time pass you by or you'll regret it when you think back on it later in life. You'll ask yourself why you didn't make the most of things when you could have...  
  
"Sefie... Baby... I'm sorry I was waving to those girls before. You know me! It's in my nature to do something like that," Irvine whispered softly near Selphie's ear.   
  
Selphie turned around and faced Irvine. At first she looked mad and disappointed, but that shortly faded away. She was angry that he had waved at the girls, but happy at the same time because he had the decency to apologize for his mistake. He wasn't really a bad guy. Actually, he wasn't a bad guy at all. Selphie adored him. She was new to this feeling too. It seemed as if love was weaving it's way around...  
  
"It's ok Irvy... Just don't do it again!" Selphie bellowed childishly.  
  
Selphie ran upto Irvine and gave him a big. Irvine smiled. He had feelings for Selphie, but hadn't actually admitted them to her yet. He was waiting... Hoping to find out if she felt the same way...  
  
"Irvy... D'you... Wanna... Y'know!? Dance?!" Selphie asked, while slowly letting go of Irvine.  
  
"Sure Sefie! I'd love to!" Irvine replied enthusiastically.  
  
_I'd do anything for you..._  
  
Selphie dragged Irvine to the middle of the dance floor. She clumsily tried to position them both into a dancing position. In the end, Irvine took her hand and put his free hand on her waist. Selphie did the same. A familiar song played in the background. It reminded them of what had just happened earlier. The sorceresses. The battles. All of it. Something that they'll never forget. It would remain engraved in their minds for the rest of their lives. Those events had changed their lives...  
  
"Whenever sang my songs... On the stage... On my own..." Irvine sung along to the song.  
  
"Whenever said my words... Wishing they would be heard..." Selphie continued on.  
  
Selphie and Irvine continued to dance to the song. Near the end of the song, Selphie rest her head against Irvine's chest, as people would do when they're dancing with someone they have feelings for. Irvine smiled again. He looked around and noticed that there were still girls staring at him. He would have waved at them, being the ladies man he is, but having Selphie in his arms restrained him from doing anything stupid. He possessed strong feelings for her and didn't want to do anything to hurt her.  
  
_Shall I be the one for you...  
Who pinches you softly, but sure...  
If frown is shown then...  
I will know that you are no dreamer... _  
  
As the song finished, Selphie and Irvine slowly separated from their dancing position. Selphie yawned as she put Irvine's hat back on his head. Irvine could tell she was tired from all her jumping around.  
  
"Sefie... If you're tired... You should get some rest," Irvine said to her, sounding concerned.  
  
"Ok Irvy..." She said, following his advice.  
  
Being fairly tired out, Selphie began to walk away from Irvine and the dance floor without thinking. Irvine quickly grabbed Selphie's hand just before she left.  
  
"Good night Sefie..." Irvine said to her, tipping his hat as a cowboy would do and kissing her hand.  
  
"G'nite Irvie!" Selphie replied enthusiastically with what energy she still had left.  
  
Selphie stumbled towards her dorm room, which was quite close to Quistis and Rinoa's rooms. As she approached her door, she noticed something on the floor. A red rose. Selphie picked up the rose and smiled, knowing that it could've only come from one person... Irvine...   
  
Selphie entered her dorm room and lay the rose on her desk, telling herself to find a vase for it first thing tomorrow morning. She then fell asleep peacefully with one thing on her mind...  
  
_Irvine..._  
  
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The party was finally over. Everyone was already asleep. Well, according to Quistis, everyone was asleep... But that wasn't necessarily the case...  
  
Quistis slowly walked upto the same balcony that Squall and Rinoa had been earlier, only they weren't on it this time. She walked over to the railing and rest her elbows on it.  
  
_I'm never going to find true love...  
I know it...  
But why...?  
Why did it have to be this way?  
Is it me?  
Is it the way I act?  
What have I done...?  
What have I done to deserve this...  
This loneliness... _  
  
A tear trickled down her pale face. The wind blew through her bangs and made them sway along with the breeze. Quistis felt miserable. She felt as if something had been taken away from her. She felt as if she had lost something.  
  
_ Squall...  
Why didn't work out?!  
It's ok... That you picked Rinoa...  
But why does it still hurt me?_  
  
Quistis buried her face in her hands. She began to cry even louder, thinking that no one would be there to hear her.  
  
"Yo Quisty?!" Zell half yelled.  
  
"Please Zell... Just go away... I want to be alone right now..."  
  
"'Zup?! Are you ok?"  
  
"Does it look like I'm ok?"  
  
"Well... I guess not... But... D'you feel like talking about it?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"C'mon Quisty! Gimme a chance!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Pretty please with sugar on top?!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Ok ok! I'll just leave ya alone then! Sheesh...! If this is the kinda thanks a guy gets for offering to help someone, I'm not gonna try to help anyone for the rest of my life!"  
  
Zell started to walk away, half slouching, like what he usually does when he just discovers that the Cafeteria had just run out of hotdogs.  
  
"Zell... Wait..." Quistis called back.  
  
Zell turned around and walked back towards Quistis. He walked to the rail where she was and leaned over it.  
  
"Are you going to talk to me now?" He asked.  
  
"... Yes... Sorry about that scene back there. I guess it was unfair of me to not give you a chance..."  
  
"It's ok... Lemme guess... Something to do with Squall right?!"  
  
"..."  
  
"Thought so... You really liked him, didn't you?"  
  
Quistis nodded. There was no point in denying it. She had strong feelings for him. She was confused.  
  
"Quisty... You have to learn to forget about him! Things change! He's moved on... So you should too!"  
  
"... It's not that easy..."  
  
_ It's not that easy letting go of someone you loved..._  
  
"Quisty... Think of it this way... By letting him move on, you just made him happy."  
  
_He does have a point...  
But is it the solution I'm looking for?  
No...  
That's not it...  
... I don't even know why I'm so sad over this...  
I'm not sad because I lost Squall...  
It's because...   
... Because... I'm lonely...  
Maybe Zell is right...  
I should just try to move on...  
I should get up and take action...  
... Instead of just sitting here and letting time pass by..._  
  
"Quisty?" Zell asked, waving his hand in front of her face. It had disturbed and broken her chain of thought.  
  
"Thank you Zell..." Quistis replied...  
  
"You're welcome, Quisty! Glad to know that I talked SOME sense into ya! Errr... Didn't I?!"  
  
Quistis laughed.  
  
"Yes Zell... Your consolation is greatly appreciated."  
  
Quistis smiled and walked away...  



	2. Letting Go...

UPDATED - 3/3/2002 I fixed up a few lines somewhere in the fic O_o I made a mistake >.   
= = = = =  
  
Author's Notes:  
Ok... I wasn't originally planning to add another chapter to this story, but I felt like writing again. I'm perfectly aware that there can be 'too much of a good thing' but I just wanted to add this anyway...  
  
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**[ Love Takes Time... --> Part 2 ]**  


  
Night had already come to Winhill. Besides the whisper of the calm winds through the trees, all was silent and still. The stars, just visible behind the light cloud cover, stretched across the night sky, leaving milky dots of light amidst its majestic brilliance. All was calm, peaceful and serene. From a distance, the small town would even seem picturesque.   
  
_Raine..._  
  
Laguna Loire walked away from his peaceful surroundings towards the outskirts of town. He knew exactly where he was going; yet he didn't know why he had the sudden urge to want to be there. That would remain a mystery for now. He decided that he would figure it out when he got there.   
  
_I'm all alone..._  
  
Laguna approached Raine's grave once again and knelt beside it. He almost felt drawn to it. He had been there earlier on that day, only this time no one was there to keep watch of his actions. He was now free to let out all his emotions. Now he remembered why he wanted to be there so badly.   
  
_I miss you..._  
  
He ran his hand along the cold headstone, feeling the stone's texture beneath his fingers. Upon his hand, a golden ring glistened in the moonlight. It was his wedding ring. It was identical to the one his wife Raine had.   
  
_Why did you have to go?_  
  
Laguna, although he seemed to be all masculine and tough, wasn't all that he seemed. He had another side, which not many people would have seen. It was too well hidden from the outside world. He had kept this side hidden only until he could no longer hold it in. It would remain hidden until he felt it was time to open it up. It was too late now. He had no choice but to show it. There was no point in fighting his feelings now.  
  
_Why...?_  
  
A teardrop trickled down his cheek, leaving a streak of salt water tracing the path where the teardrop had just passed. The tear left his face and dripped onto Raine's headstone. The teardrop left a small marking on the stone. A discreet reminder that feelings and emotions can overpower even the most physically strong individual.   
  
_... I love you..._  
  
Laguna closed his eyes and reminisced the good times he had spent with Raine, keeping in mind that they would never happen again. No matter how much you want it to happen, you can never re-live the past, yet you can never escape it. It will always remain as a memory deep in your mind. Deep in your heart...  
  
A faint noise could be heard close by to where Laguna knelt. The distant sound of footsteps, yet Laguna chose to ignore it. He would rather spend his time with his wife. He bowed his head down and closed his eyes.   
  
"Laguna...?" a voice called, floating to Laguna with the passing winds.   
  
Laguna jolted his head up. The voice seemed so familiar, yet he just couldn't place when and where he had last heard it.   
  
_...Raine?  
It can't be...  
...Or can it? _  
  
"...R-Raine...?" Laguna managed to choke out.   
  
Still crouched in his kneeling position, he turned around and looked at the mysterious figure. He sighed.   
  
"No... It's me..."  
  
Ellone. It was Ellone. That was why he had found a similarity in the voice he had heard. Although it wasn't the person he expected, he could see why he had mistaken her voice for Raine's. Ellone wasn't physically Raine's daughter... But that didn't matter. They were so alike in most aspects that you would mistake them as blood related family at first glance. Sometimes they would even appear to be the same person... In Laguna's eyes. He saw so much of Raine in Ellone.   
  
"What are you doing up so late Elle?" Laguna lectured.   
  
"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?" she retorted.   
  
Ellone walked towards Laguna. Straight away, she had noticed that he had been crying. Being the kind of forgetful person that he is, Laguna had forgotten to wipe away the teary streaks on his face. Laguna turned away, trying to conceal his emotion. He was embarrassed to be seen in such a state, although Ellone had already seen him through much worse.   
  
"..."  
  
"You really miss her, don't you?" Ellone asked, stating the obvious facts.   
  
"...I loved her, Ellie..." Laguna answered.   
  
_...With all my heart..._   
"I know... I did too..."  
  
Ellone walked over to Laguna and knelt down beside him. She glanced at the headstone with her mother's name written on it and bowed her head down in respect. She then looked at Laguna. His face was lit up by the moonlight. His smooth face was still streaked with tears. Although he was now older, the only thing that seemed to change about his appearance was the color of his hair, and the fact that he now tied it up. His facial features were still almost the same, except for that fact that he now had extra lines and grooves on it... Signs that he was getting older.   
  
"...But why did you come back here? You were here earlier today..." Ellone asked him.   
  
"I missed her again..."  
  
_It's hard letting go..._  
  
Laguna's eyes began to tear again. Ellone gave Laguna a hug and a shoulder to lean on. She was perfectly aware how hard it was to let go. She knew exactly how he felt without him having to say a single word. They had shared the same feelings together, as Raine was something special to both of them. She had once played an important part in their lives.   
  
"I can still remember when I had first asked her... Asked her t-to... To marry me. I thought about earlier today. I can still remember where I asked her. It wasn't far from here. Although I forget many things, that was one I will never forget..." Laguna told Ellone.   
  
"I can still remember so many things about her too..."  
  
Laguna and Ellone sat out amongst the damp grass under the night sky, exchanging their stories. So many memories to share. All of which they shared together. They laughed and reminisced together. Sometimes sharing memories with other people is much better than remembering them by yourself.   
  
"...I really do miss her Ellie, but I'll never get her back..."  
  
"But we'll always remember her and all the fun we had together, right? That's the important thing. We shouldn't dwell on how much we miss her. We should concentrate on the time we spent with her. It hurts less that way..."  
  
"I guess your right Elle..."  
  
Ellone smiled at Laguna. She too had grown up from the first time her and Laguna had met. She was now older and much more mature. She was now fully capable of taking care of herself. At one point of her life, Laguna took care of her. He was a role model to her. A father. Now that she was old enough to make her own decisions, Laguna need not interfere with her doings unless called for.   
  
"Well... I'm gonna head off now... Take care of yourself," Ellone informed.   
  
"Ok... You too Ellie..."  
  
Laguna gave Ellone one last hug and thanked her for consoling him. After Ellone had walked back into the safety of the town, Laguna once again bowed his head down and closed his eyes. He once again thought about Raine and what Ellone had said. He had realized some things that he didn't see before. He wasn't entirely ignorant, but there were still things that he overlooked.   
  
_Although you're gone... ...You will always be remembered. Your memory will live on forever. There's no longer any need to keep reminding myself that you're gone. All I need to remember is that while you were still with us... ...I loved you... ...And I still do... ...And I will never forget the time we spent together..._  
  
Laguna took one last look at Raine's headstone. This time, instead of crying, he smiled. It was time for him to let her go. She will forever be remembered, but now he can let go of the pain. Laguna looked at the wedding ring on his hand. It had faded enormously throughout the years and lost its brilliant shimmer. Although Raine had passed away many years ago, he still wore it as a reminder that she was once a major part of his life.   
  
Laguna slowly took the ring off his hand and clenched it in his palm.   
  
_This is for you... Raine..._  
  
Laguna carefully placed the ring on the edge of Raine's headstone. He then stood up, took one last look at Raine's final resting place and walked away, leaving all the pain behind... 


End file.
